Tuesday, October 08, 2013

One week before make-your-mind-up time?

"The fate of the Ukraine/EU Association Agreement is dependent on the release of Yulia Tymoshenko. An OSW expert believes that Viktor Yanukovych has still not decided whether to release her or not, because Tymoshenko is his most dangerous political opponent."

Deutsche Welle reports the German President, Joachim Gauck, who also attended a meeting in Krakow between the presidents of Ukraine, Italy, Germany and Poland today, called for Tymoshenko to be released. "The central question in the negotiations between the presidents of Ukraine and Germany in Krakow was the release of Yulia Tymoshenko. [Authorities in] Berlin urged Yanukovych not to drag matters out."

A spokesman said for president Gauck the solution of this problem is a barometer of how serious and credible are the efforts of Yanukovych administration in the development of democracy and the rule of law.

Yet at their press briefing following their meeting, neither Yanukovych nor Polish president Komorowski made any reference to the Tymoshenko business at all, to the astonishment of journalists; which seems to confirm the validity of the OSW expert's opinion - Yanukovych has not yet made up his mind.

He must feel these guys are asking him to sign his own political suicide note....

p.s. Yanukovych has a penchant for making big-hearted pronouncements on important days of the Orthodox calendar. E.g. Yuriy Lutsenko was pardoned on the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord [Blahovishchennya].

One Tymoshenko ally predicts that a decision could be announced on October 14. This date is a "two in one": the feast of the Protection of the Blessed Mother of God, [Pokrova] one of the bigger days in the Orthodox calendar, and the eve of the fateful day when Cox and Kwasniewski have to report back to the European parliament's president.

Maybe Yanuk will have a word 'with the Man upstairs' on that day to ask for advice..He cannot complain that the Lord has not been kind to him. Yanukovych's son Aleksandr is now the most successful businessman in the country. His MAKO Holdings has seen a meteoric rise in earnings in 2012 to well over $5Bn. It is now 56th biggest business corporation in Ukraine. Surprised?